Congressman Joe Neguse Statement for American Sustainable Business Council

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Hello! As the representative for Colorado’s beautiful Second District, I’m committed to preserving our biodiversity and public health. That’s why I’m proud to lead the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act in the U.S. House.

I drew my inspiration to sponsor this bill from the City of Boulder and the countless people across that city, my district, and all of Colorado who hold grave concerns over the historic and dangerous lack of oversight on pesticides – a lack which leads to harm on the environment, as well as countless negative health effects for our communities.

We are fortunate to have throughout Colorado’s Second District some of our nation’s top experts in the environment’s delicate and intricate systems, in organic and regenerative agriculture, and in preserving and furthering healthy people and communities.

For years these experts have been warning us of the frivolous, profit-driven, and dangerous pesticide oversight system. We used their expertise last summer to, for the first time, reform pesticide registration and regulation from an environmental perspective—a viewpoint and act delayed for far too long.

As I’m sure many of you know, every year the United States uses over a billion pounds of pesticides — nearly one-fifth of worldwide use altogether. Once they’re approved, pesticides often remain on the market for decades, even when scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows a pesticide is causing harm to people or the environment.

We cannot allow the regulations put in place to protect us, to fail so wholly in doing so, nor should we allow the EPA to continue putting the interests of the pesticide industry above the health and safety of people and our environment.

I’m proud to have put forward legislation which bans the most harmful pesticides and sets forth regulations to ensure safe registration practices to protect the health and safety of our environment, our kids, agricultural workers, and each member of our community above the profits of the pesticide industry.

Thank you to each of you for your engagement on this issue. I hope that today’s webinar is both informative and inspiring!